I'm Still Here
by clumsypegasusgirl2701
Summary: So Cheryl left for New York and left Toni behind heartbroken. But love doesn't disappear that easy, something both girls learn when Cheryl returns home eleven years later with her son. Can both girls build a future or will they drown under the weight of their past? Don't judge. Sequel to I'll be here when nobody else will.
1. Chapter 1: Eleven Years Later

_**AN/ HEY GUYS! I PROMISED A SEQUEL, AND HERE IT IS. DON'T HATE ME TOO MUCH FOR THE TIME JUMP BUT I PROMISE I'LL MAKE UP FOR IT. I HAVEN'T SAID THIS, BUT COMING BACK TO WRITING, BACK TO THIS STORY, IT'S LIKE COMING HOME. I'VE MISSED EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, AND I DIDN'T REALISE HOW BIG A PART OF MY LIFE THIS WAS UNTIL I BEGAN WRITING AGAIN FOR REAL ON THURSDAY. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT UP TO NOW AND I HOPE IT CAN CONTINUE :)**_

 _ **TO ANY NEW READERS WHO HAVE HAPPENED TO JOIN US WITH THIS, WELCOME TO THE FAMILY! HAVE SOME LOVE *SENDS LOTS OF LOVE* THIS IS A SEQUEL, SO I'D RECOMMEND READING THE PREVIOUS INSTALMENT 'I'LL BE HERE WHEN NOBODY ELSE WILL' BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE IF THIS WILL REFER TO IT MUCH YET.**_

 _ **FINGERS CROSSED THIS DOESN'T SUCK TOO MUCH.**_

 _ **HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOY IT...**_

It had been eleven years since Cheryl Blossom had been in Riverdale. Eleven years. Somehow, eleven years had passed since she'd last been here, and though her own life had changed drastically, the town appeared remarkably unchanged.

As she carefully drove down Main Street, she stole a glance at her son in the passenger seat. Jason Blossom was now ten. Where had those years gone? Cheryl wasn't sure, because it felt like only yesterday that she had left the hospital, aged just nineteen, cradling her tiny bundle of joy, promising he would be happy forever.

At first, seeing her new-born son had been hard for Cheryl, because he was the double of his uncle. Jason Blossom looked just like his namesake. He had the same ginger hair, the same build, and - as he grew older – the same expressions as his long-dead uncle.

Thankfully, these days, Jason showed very few characteristics that would link him to his father, John-Phillipe Thibedeau. The boy might be fluent in French, but other than that, everything about him would make an onlooker only think of his mother. To hear him talk, and to see him interact with others, it was like watching Cheryl. That was what Veronica had said that week when she'd stayed with them in New York. And that made Cheryl's chest swell with pride that her son was just like his mother, and not a bit like his father.

She was glad of that, because Jason's father had turned out to be more of a monster than a Prince Charming.

Breaking up with John-Phillipe had been hard. It had been difficult, and messy, considering they had never been married in the first place. The court cases had been disastrous, and getting her share of the apartment had been nearly impossible. Yet she had done it, and with John-Phillipe running off to Paris with that disgusting floozy Cheryl had caught him in their bed with, Cheryl had now full custody of their son, Jason. Closing that particular chapter of her life had been a long and arduous process, but now it was done, Cheryl was more than ready to start writing the next one.

That's why she was returning to her roots in Riverdale. Over the last twelve years, she had abandoned pretty much everything that had happened to her in the town, reinventing her life and her personality as soon as she arrived in New York.

In New York, she wasn't Cheryl Blossom: sister of the dead boy; she was Cheryl Blossom: girlfriend of the hottest foreign student in the city.

However, the second John-Phillipe left, her new life, the new Cheryl, it all began to unfurl, and she suddenly found herself back where she was as a teen; completely lost with no idea where to turn. She had to find herself again, find what she loved.

Sure, she had Jason, but there was something missing. If she was completely honest, that something had been missing long before she met her ex-boyfriend. That something was what Cheryl desperately needed now everything was falling apart again.

And the only place she could find that something was in Riverdale…

* * *

"So this is where you grew up?" Jason asked, as he looked around the abandoned streets. "It's pretty quiet…"

"Not every where's like New York, Jay-Jay," Cheryl replied, smiling softly at her son.

"I don't get why we had to move. We could have stayed at home."

"Jay-Jay, we've been through this, we had to move, and since your dad ran off with all the money, there was no way we could afford property in New York."

"And somehow, we can afford property here?" Jason asked, repeating the sceptical response of his father when he had told him on the phone a day earlier.

"Yes we can." Cheryl muttered, as the car passed Riverdale High. "We don't need to worry about money living here. We're going back to my old house."

"But doesn't Granny live there?" Jason mumbled, his voice shaking with nerves.

"She lives in Thornhill, just outside of town. It got rebuilt a few years ago, and Thistlehouse – our house – got left empty. When Great-Nana Rose died, she left the house to me, so it's ours."

"But isn't Thistlehouse the haunted house?" her son quivered.

Cheryl rolled her eyes, silently cursing herself for letting Betty and Jughead babysit her son when they were in New York a few years ago. "There are no ghosts in Thistlehouse," she hesitated, sounding like she was trying to convince herself, never mind Jason. "That was just Uncle Jug trying to scare you. You know what he's like with his stories."

"Can we see Aunty B and Uncle Jug? And Auntie V?"

"I don't see why not," Cheryl nodded, turning her car off of Main Street. "Why don't we pop and see the Jones' now?"

"Can we?" he begged, grinning at his mother.

That smile, and the sound of excitement in his voice, was the first time they had been seen in her son since she and John-Phillipe told him they were breaking up. Jason had been miserable for the last three months because of it, and since Cheryl had taken him away from all of his friends in New York back to her childhood town of Riverdale, he had hit an all-time low. Watching his grin made Cheryl beam, and she pulled up outside the offices of the Riverdale Register.

* * *

Walking into the building, Cheryl was struck once again by just how much time seemed to have stood still in the town over the last twelve years. The boards around the reception were the same as they were twelve years ago, and – as she remembered – an entire wall was devoted to *that* news story; the one news story Cheryl did not want to see still plastered on the wall.

Grimacing, Cheryl turned her back from the board where the words **FOURTH JULY TRAGEDY TAKES SINISTER TWIST: JASON BLOSSOM MURDERED** screamed out from all directions, along with the photo of her twin brother staring at her.

"Isn't that Uncle Jason?" the boy asked, looking at his mother for confirmation.

"Yeah," Cheryl replied, her voice cracking as she thought of her brother.

"He looks cool."

"He was," she stammered, her eyes pooling with tears. "He loved football JJ, just like you. He loved dinosaurs too when we were kids, and those stupid cards…"

"Pokémon!" Jason interrupted, glaring at his mom for calling them stupid.

"Sorry," Cheryl yelped when her son snapped, smirking slightly at how offended he was about her dismissing his card game. "He had tonnes of the things, more than you could imagine."

"I wish I could meet him, Mom," Jason stated, noticing how thoughtful his mother had gotten. "Do you think he would've liked me?"

"He'd have loved you JJ." Cheryl chuckled, smiling at her son with pride. "He'd have been the most amazing father, and uncle. You two would have been best friends…"

Noticing the suddenly wistful expression on his mother's face, Jason nodded slowly, turning to read some of the other stories to give his mum some time to think. He knew that his mum still desperately missed her brother, and it was one of the reasons why she never went anywhere near Riverdale. His Aunt Polly had always joked that it was like Cheryl was scared the town had an outbreak of plague or something, which was why people always had to come to their home in New York.

Jason himself knew it was more than that, it wasn't the things living in Riverdale that his mother was scared to be exposed to: it was the memories, and it was more than that… it was the ghosts.

The ghost of his uncle's smile, the smile that was apparently identical to his own. The way Cheryl's expression always became one of grief when he smiled made Jason sad. The ghosts of the past were things that were always walking around in Riverdale, according to Cheryl. Jason knew how much Cheryl hated moving back here, because his mother had spent so much of her life trying to escape her past, yet now, she had been made to dive headfirst into it. He hated how upset his mother had been these last few months, and desperately hoped that this might be the turning point she needed.

After all, his Uncle Jug had always said anything can happen in Riverdale…

A woman with greying hair shuffled out of the office and stood behind the desk, hastily sorting through scattered papers.

"Mrs Cooper?" Cheryl asked, and watched sceptically as the woman behind the desk's head shot up, and blinked in disbelief when the woman did a double take.

"Cheryl Blossom?" the woman replied, looking Cheryl up and down. "Do my eyes deceive me?"

"Your eyesight is perfectly fine Mrs Cooper."

"What brings you here? And after all this time…"

"Are Betty and Jug here?" Cheryl interrupted, not really wanting to have that conversation with the older woman.

"Of course, they're just in the office, I'll go tell them you've come, they'll be so happy to see you," Alice gushed, turning to go into the office, but immediately turning back to Cheryl when she saw Jason. "And who's this handsome young man?"

"This is Jason, Mrs Blossom, my son."

"Jason? Isn't he the double of…"

"He does have a look of my brother, doesn't he?" she said, cutting in with her own opinion so she didn't have to hear her brother's name drop out of Alice Cooper's lips.

"How old is he?" the woman inquired, focusing her gaze on Jason himself.

"I'm ten." Jason replied with a proud smile.

Alice looked wistfully at the boy, in a similar way to Cheryl. Sure, she would never be able to forgive the young boy's namesake for everything that happened with Polly, but there was no denying that Jason Blossom had been one hell of a charmer all those years ago.

"Anyway," Alice stammered, turning towards the office, "I'll tell Elizabeth and… Jughead… that you are here."

Cheryl smirked as Mrs Cooper opened the door to the office and shut it softly behind her.

Jason let out his barely stifled giggles. "She really doesn't like Uncle Jug does she?"

Cheryl turned to smile at her son and wrapped her arm around his shoulder and pulling him in for a hug. "No, she doesn't. Never has done."

"But whyyyyy?" Jason groaned.

"Becausssse," Cheryl teased playfully, "Uncle Jug came from the wrong side of town."

"But he's a Southside badass!" Jason replied.

"Jason Blossom!" Cheryl scolded, "I have never once introduced you to foul language such as that. Who on earth exposed you to that kind of word?"

"That would be me," a voice declared from behind Cheryl and Jason's eyes lit up.

"Uncle Jug!" he exclaimed, running into the open arms of Jughead Jones.

"I've missed you bud," Jughead said with a smile, picking up Jason and swinging him in his arms. He looked up to Cheryl with a smirk. "Nice to see you Bombshell."

"You too Hobo," Cheryl replied without missing a beat. "Where's the Hobo's wife?"

"Right here," Betty said as she walked back into the room, closely followed by her mother. "My, my Jason, look at how grown up you are all of a sudden!"

Jason took a step back and wrapped his arms over his chest, blushing slightly.

"Aww, feeling shy JJ?" Cheryl teased, hugging her son.

He shook his head furiously, moving to hide behind his mum.

"Bless him," Betty crooned, smiling softly at Cheryl and Jason. "He's adorable."

There was a low rumbling sound and Jughead laughed. "The kid's hungry."

"Clearly takes after his Uncle Jughead," Cheryl sniped with a smirk, holding her hands up in mock surrender when she saw Jughead's reaction of faux anger. "So kiddo… what do you crave?"

"I could go burger…" he suggested. "Can we get a McDonald's?"

Betty, Jughead and Alice let out a low, knowing laugh at that question.

"Are you telling me eleven years later Riverdale still doesn't have McDonald's?" Cheryl interrogated, and the trio laughed harder. "Some places really do stay frozen in time, don't they?"

"But I want a cheeseburger mum…" Jason groaned.

"How about we get a burger at Pop's, JJ?" Cheryl suggested, "I'm sure Pop Tate still owns his diner right?"

"Obviously," Jughead replied proudly. He turned to Jason, "He makes the best burgers in all of America bud."

"I find that hard to believe," Jason stated, crossing his arms and placing heavy emphasis on the word 'I' in a manner so identical to Cheryl's that it left the four adults reeling.

"If that hasn't changed, your Uncle Jug is telling the truth JJ," Cheryl replied. "I'd kill for some cherry cola if he still sells it."

"Cherry cola for Cherry Bombshell," Jughead whispered, and Cheryl's eyes narrowed instantly. "Shit, sorry Cheryl," Jughead apologised, "I didn't realise she was still a sore point."

"Who's she?" Jason demanded to know.

Betty opened her mouth to speak but Cheryl immediately responded to her son's question. "Nobody, Jason. Just somebody I used to know."

Jughead and Betty shook their heads at Cheryl and Jason looked at his mum in confusion.

"Are you sure of that mum?"

"Very, JJ," she replied, hastily pulling her car keys out of her bag and handing them to her son. "Take these and go get in the car. I'll be out in a second."

Confused and slightly hurt, Jason frowned before hugging Betty and giving Jughead a halfhearted high five on his way towards the door.

As soon as the door shut behind Jason, Betty turned to Cheryl. "I know she's still hard for you to talk about, but please don't blame the kid for that."

"I'm not," Cheryl insisted. "Jason just doesn't need to know about that specific chapter of my life. He already knows I'm terrified of my mother being released from prison for good behaviour and keeping a suspiciously low profile at Thornhill. He doesn't need to know anything else."

"Toni was never a bad thing though Cheryl," Jughead argued hating the wounded expression on Cheryl's face at the mere mention of her ex-girlfriend's name.

"I know," the redhead confessed. "She's just my greatest regret."

Betty smiled sadly and gave the redhead a hug. "That's natural."

Cheryl shrugged her off. "It's been eleven, nearly twelve, years since I left this place. Why am I still not over her?"

"Because you still love her," Jughead replied, his voice taking on the disturbing tone of an omniscient narrator. "You always have loved her and you probably always will."

"I wish I didn't love her," Cheryl confessed. "My life would be so much easier if I didn't."

"Well, nothing worth having comes easy," Betty interjected. "And Toni Topaz was definitely worth having."

"I wonder what she's like these days," Cheryl pondered wistfully before regaining her composure. "No, I don't wonder. I can't wonder." The redhead shook her head as she spoke, before turning to leave. "I'm going to go join JJ and take him for lunch. It was nice seeing you guys."

"She's still the same girl she was eleven years ago Cheryl Blossom," Jughead called after her, and smiled softly at Betty when he heard the door shut after the redhead. "And she still loves you."

Betty slapped him mockingly on the arm. "Don't go telling her that. Some wounds are best left unopened."

"Is that for her sake or Toni's?" Jughead asked.

"I honestly don't know," Betty replied, shrugging her shoulders. "I just know Toni's heart is going to shatter the second she sees Cheryl."

 ** _AN/ THANK YOU SO SO MUCH FOR READING THIS CHAPTER AND SUPPORTING (OR CONTINUING TO SUPPORT) THIS FAMILY. PLEASE KEEP ME POSTED ON WHAT YOU THINK GUYS! SEVEN REVIEWS AND I WILL POST THE NEXT CHAPTER. I'M SO GLAD TO BE BACK!_**


	2. Chapter 2: Some Ghosts Aren't Dead

**_AN/ Hola, amigos. Thanks for sticking with this story, especially seeing as though this has been attacked by a bot last week. Thankfully, having spoken to a member of Critics United, I can confirm that there was nothing in my fic violating the Ts & Cs of the site, so we are okay to continue. How are we all? I feel like it's been forever since we've all talked and I've told a story. _**

**_I've finally got back into writing, and - at the minute - I'm finding it pretty liberating. It's that escape I've been searching for these last few weeks and I'm so glad I've made my way back here. Maybe things falling apart slightly isn't as bad as I thought it would be, because I know how to put myself back together again. That means a lot of writing, so hooray!_**

 ** _(To EB, I doubt you're even reading this, but on the off chance you are, I love you so fucking much, and I miss you. Message me. Please. I need to talk to you, and I have so much to tell you.)_**

 ** _Anyway, I hope everyone is well, and here is the next chapter of our story..._**

True to Betty's words, Toni Topaz's heart shattered the second she saw that ever so familiar flash of red hair. Standing at the counter in Pop's Diner, she thought she was hearing things when she heard the faint clicking of heels against the floor behind her. Those heels, that rhythmic clicking sound, that was just a sound of the ghost haunting her.

Cheryl Blossom had haunted Toni since the day of Rosanne Blossom's funeral. The redhead had stormed out of the wake, bundled herself into a taxi, and vanished without a trace. Endless text messages and phone calls followed, none of which Cheryl would reply to. Toni made a few trips out to New York, and had returned having lost all hope that she would find and reconcile with Cheryl.

Then a phone call came to Betty two years later. The first contact from Cheryl since the day she'd left. A phone call to announce she was pregnant, and engaged to some French guy. Toni hadn't sobbed that hard since the night Cheryl left.

After that, all efforts to contact Cheryl Blossom were abandoned. Unlike Toni, Cheryl had clearly moved on, to the extent that she was prepared to marry and have a baby with someone else. Toni would have been lying if she said it didn't hurt her.

"Mummmm," Jason groaned dramatically, "I'm hungryyy…."

"Jasonnnnn," Cheryl mimicked, "you'll have to wait for some food to get cooked." She took a glance around the diner, grab that booth over there while I go order."

"Fine," he replied, rolling his eyes and sauntering over to the booth his mum had pointed towards.

Cheryl watched her son walk off and felt the nostalgia overwhelm her as she approached the counter, effortlessly swinging onto one of the stools and placing her elbows on the counter.

Like the rest of Riverdale, Pop Tate's Choclit' Shoppe remained miraculously unchanged. All of the records on the walls were the same, all still dusty, all still barely stuck to the wall. The jukebox was still crackling out the sounds of the 1950s, and it was still far too quiet to be heard over the din of the teenagers of Riverdale.

Glancing upwards, it sent slight shivers down Cheryl's spine to see that the neon lights were just as gaudy as they used to be, still humming in the same way they had twelve years ago. It was almost like that night after she'd been to see 'Love Simon.'

Trapped in her thoughts, Cheryl didn't notice who she was sat next to, not until Pop Tate came over to take her order.

"My, my," the ageing man gushed, "if my eyes aren't deceiving me, I'd say that's a grown-up Cheryl Blossom sitting in my diner."

The woman sitting beside Cheryl stirred then, knocking over her drink when she heard the words 'Cheryl Blossom' leave the old man's mouth. She immediately turned her gaze to the seat next to her and felt the breath in her lungs threaten to choke her.

Sneaking a glance at the redhead woman next to her, who still spoke to Pop in the tone of Riverdale High's most renowned HBIC as she placed an order for two cheeseburgers and fries, Toni felt her blood run cold.

A quick glance at the woman beside her was enough to make Toni Topaz hurtle back through time to twelve years ago, back to a night in a busy diner with a redhead. A redhead who, despite not being in Riverdale for what felt like forever, appeared to look the same as the day she left.

"Cheryl?" Toni gasped, and kicked herself for not saying it under her breath when the girl in question looked straight at her.

"Toni?" Cheryl asked, her voice cracking, completely at a loss. What was the Serpent doing here? Why? Why when she'd been back in Riverdale for all of two hours was she already being confronted with her ex?

"Hi," Toni said nervously, running her hand through her hair as she thought of something to say before everything got too awkward. "So… you're back?"

"I'm back." Cheryl reiterated, her voice showing her thoughtlessness. She wasn't thinking about her answer. She was too busy taking in every detail of Toni Topaz's face.

Those eyes that still looked like melted chocolate. Those lips, those soft, full lips that were undeniably smooth, and Cheryl knew without having to put her own against them that they would still taste of cherry cola and candy. Those cheekbones, those perfectly sculpted cheekbones that reminded Cheryl of the way sculptors could define marble. Unlike a statue, there was no coldness to the face of Toni Topaz. Much the opposite, really; the woman just radiated warmth. The woman before her still had those candyfloss pink highlights running through her hair, which was still held up in the same punky Avril Lavigne style Toni had always favoured all those years ago. Oh, how Cheryl longed to reach out and touch it.

As Cheryl focused on the sharp jawline of Toni Topaz, she let her eyes wander just slightly down to that defined collarbone, then just slightly further, until she began to take in the other woman's whole body. That figure, that perfect figure, lean and just ever so toned hidden under that leather jacket. That timeless leather jacket that, from experience, Cheryl knew concealed the Serpent tattoo on Antoinette Topaz's upper arm. The last twelve years had been just as kind to Toni Topaz as they had been to Cheryl Blossom. That much was clear as Cheryl observed every inch of Toni, drinking in every little detail of the girl she loved all that time ago.

"Done staring, Bombshell?" Toni asked, smirking slightly at the way Cheryl's eyes went wide.

"Bombshell?" Cheryl repeated.

"I'm Cheryl Bombshell," Toni declared, her voice high pitched and mocking, "feel free to tremble."

"Oh," Cheryl replied, her voice hollow. Thinking quickly, she retorted, "I never sounded like that!"

"You really did," Toni shrugged, smiling slightly. "That wasn't even the worst you've sounded."

"Please," Cheryl groaned, rolling her eyes, "I know for a fact you said worse."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Toni deadpanned, allowing her own gaze to flicker over the redhead, and mentally kicking herself for still finding Cheryl Blossom adorable.

Cheryl felt herself smirk at how Toni was staring at her. "See something you like, Topaz?"

Tearing her gaze away from the redhead, Toni felt her cheeks burn. "Yeah," she mumbled, taking a breath of relief when Pop Tate approached her with a brown paper bag. "That would be my lunch."

"Of course," Cheryl said as Toni all but jumped off her stool to grab her food. "Always got your eye on the prize."

Taking the bag from Pop, Toni smiled. "Always thinking about the food Cheryl. Anyway, I better get going. Lunch doesn't last forever."

"Lunch?"

"I'm photographer for the Register these days. Can't spend all my time in Pop's anymore."

"Oh, Jughead never mentioned that. Nor did Betty."

"Well they never mentioned you were returning to Riverdale. Turns out they miss out a lot in conversation."

"To be fair I asked them to keep it quiet."

"Why?"

"Well my mother is back in Thornhill isn't she? I'm not letting her know of JJ's existence if I can help it."

"JJ?" Toni asked, suddenly curious.

"Jason," Cheryl corrected, gesturing to the redheaded boy sat solemnly in the both by the jukebox. "My son."

"You had a son?"

"Yeah," Cheryl replied, smiling softly as she watched her son.

"He looks like you."

"He's inherited the best of the Blossom genes I must admit," Cheryl agreed distractedly. "Anyway, I won't keep you. You have things to be getting on with."

"That I do. But maybe we could meet up sometime? Unless that would be weird with Jason's dad…"

"I doubt John-Phillipe would care if I'm honest," Cheryl mumbled, desperately wanting this moment to be over. "He's too busy fucking that blonde in Paris."

"That blonde?"

"Yeah. I found him in bed with her just over a year ago and well, that's the end of that. He ran off to Paris I guess to escape and to stop me hounding him for money for Jason."

"Oh my, Cheryl, I'm so sorry."

"I'm not. He was a dick. Turns out he'd been seeing that woman since JJ was six. So I'm glad I found him and it's all over."

"Still, that's awful."

"Yeah."

"So, is that what brought you back here?"

"Yeah, New York is too expensive if you're going alone, and I can't afford to have Jason there. It's just going to be a mare I guess."

"If you ever need a hand with babysitting or anything, I'm happy to help."

"Thanks, but that won't be necessary."

"Okay," Toni shrugged, noticing from the way Cheryl was sat how embarrassing the whole affair was for the redhead. "Still, maybe we could meet up again. It's nice seeing you, Cheryl."

"You too, Topaz," Cheryl replied, her eyes lingering on Toni as the Serpent turned to leave. "And Toni," she added as the other woman took a step away. "I'd be delighted to meet up."

"How about six?" Toni asked. "Unless that's too forward…"

"No, that's fine." Cheryl reassured. "I'll give Jughead a ring. Where are we going?"

"Drinks?" Toni suggested, "Veronica has a pretty cool cocktail bar downtown."

"Sounds good."

Toni nodded, and decided to make her exit. "I'll see you then. You'll be at Thistlehouse right?"

"Of course. Where else would I be?"

Toni shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I'll pick you up from there."

"Cool."

Awkwardness started to seep into Cheryl's veins and she nodded at the other woman. "I better go join JJ before he thinks I've abandoned him."

Toni chuckled softly at that. "Who'd have thought Cheryl Blossom would turn out to be mumsy?"

"Not me," Cheryl admitted. "Definitely not me. But I wouldn't change it for the world. See you later Toni."

There was a moment between the two where both girls had a million questions to ask but both just stood, watching the other, waiting for them to make the first move.

"Uhm, Miss Topaz," Pop Tate interrupted. "If you don't get a move on, that food of yours will go cold, and I know what Jughead Jones is like when his food arrives cold."

"Thanks Pop," Toni stammered, and she lifted the paper bag slightly. "Bye Cheryl."

"Bye Toni," Cheryl replied, tapping her fingers against the counter.

The Serpent walked away, and Cheryl turned to walk towards Jason, peering just once over her shoulder to watch Toni Topaz's retreating form. Arriving at the booth, she slipped into the side opposite her son.

"You took forever mum," Jason groaned. "And you look like you've seen a ghost."

Cheryl was far too distracted by the brown haired beauty climbing onto the motorbike outside to hear her son's words.

But if she had, she'd have had no choice but to agree. Jason Blossom was 100% right.

Cheryl Blossom was sat in Pop's diner, once again haunted by the ghosts of her past…

Haunted specifically by Toni Topaz.

 _ **AN/ As always, thank you for reading this chapter, and I hope you're all enjoying it. Please drop a review and tell me how I'm doing, and what you'd all like to see. Seven reviews, and I'll post the next chapter.**_


	3. Chapter 3: A Monster Of A Mother

_**AN/ Evening guys! Jeez it feels like a lifetime since I've posted on here, and I'm really sorry for vanishing for these last… few weeks… months… anyway, I'm home again, home being here. I've missed writing and I've missed you guys, so I'm happy to be back if you'll have me.**_

 _ **Things have been pretty rough this last month or so, heading back to how I was earlier on in the year which has been kinda scary but I'm proud to say I'm through it again. I've fought my demons and let go of the things that were tearing me apart, and I feel better. I'm me, and I'm happy and I'm doing what I do best. I'm writing and telling the story, the thing I love to do the most.**_

 _ **Not to be gushy or cringey, but I just want to give a massive shoutout to all of my friends who will probably read this soon. They're all angels, and I know I couldn't have gotten through everything that's happened since October without them. I love each and every one of them to the bones, and they make me so happy. It's taken me sixteen years to find these guys, and now I have done, I know what real friends and love are. They build me up instead of tearing me down, and they're there when I feel like the world's against me. They're the best and I love them so, so much.**_

 _ **So after reading this, maybe get in touch with your friends, or check up on someone you haven't seen in a while. Talk to the people who make you happy, because those people are the ones you want to keep close.**_

 _ **Anyway, endearing message about friendship and love aside, welcome back to my fic. I've been away for a while, but here's the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it…**_

"So… Mom…" Jason began, as he pulled the door of the red Tesla shut. "Who was that you were talking to?"

"Who was who?" Cheryl asked, only paying half-attention to her son as she put the car into reverse so she could escape the parking lot outside Pop's Diner.

"That lady," Jason said, painfully aware of the way his Mom's hands clenched around the steering wheel as he pressed the subject.

"That lady?"

"Yeah, the one you were talking to when you went to order," Jason explained, looking at his Mom expectantly. "Who is she?"

"Toni? Oh, she's just somebody I used to know JJ," Cheryl replied dismissively, diverting her attention to the road despite its lack of traffic.

Jason did not need to know about Toni, not really. Her son did not need to hear about how she ran from one of the best things that ever happened to her, nor did he need to be aware of the regret that smothered her every day because of it.

"So what is she one of your old friends? Like Auntie Betty and Uncle Jug?"

"Something like that JJ," Cheryl mused, giving her son a knowing smile.

"Well, she's very pretty," Jason stated, smirking when he saw his Mom's face burn a vicious shade of red. "What do you think, Mom?"

"Well, uh," Cheryl stammered, "you might be right there JJ."

"Of course I am." Jason shrugged, looking out of the window to stare at the trees flashing by as they cruised down the road. "I'm ten Mom, not an idiot."

Wincing slightly, Cheryl felt herself being dragged back in time to a moment nearly twenty years earlier, when her brother had something remarkably similar to their mother at the dinner table.

She vividly remembered how angry Penelope Blossom had been at Jason's remark, and of the angry red mark, a mark that was a clear shadow of her mother's handprint, that had graced her brother's face for weeks afterwards.

She remembered the shouting that night, her mother's scathing voice hurling insults at a boy who wasn't quite ten, the loud slap that echoed throughout Thornhill while Cheryl hid in her bedroom...

* * *

" _You will not speak to me like that!" Penelope raged, and Cheryl choked back a sob. "Jason Michael Blossom, language like that is completely disgraceful. You are disgraceful. You're just another disappointment. A total blemish on the family name."_

 _There was a brief pause and – even from upstairs in her room – Cheryl heard the sharp thud as Penelope's hand came into contact with her brother's face. She winced and sat with her back against the door, terrified that her mother's blind fury would carry the older woman up the stairs and make her burst into that bedroom, frozen in the fear that her mother's wrath was not limited to her brother._

" _You see that maple syrup in the barns, Jason." Penelope drawled, her voice lower, seemingly more threatening, than before. "You see how precious it is. How it sells. What it's worth. It's priceless, Jason, just like the blood that pulses through your veins. Your blood is Blossom blood."_

 _There was a pause, and it didn't take much effort to imagine her mother prowling around the lounge, leaning in towards her son as she spoke. "And Blossom blood is sacred. You need to live up to your name, Jason Blossom, instead of constantly being a failure to it. Now go to your room. Get out of my sight before I change my mind."_

 _Her brother didn't wait for their mother to say another word before making his way upstairs, silently sneaking into Cheryl's bedroom._

" _JJ," she crooned, "you shouldn't be here."_

" _Cher, are you okay?"_

 _Even as a nine year old, Cheryl knew there was something very wrong with that setup. "Of course I am JJ," she whispered, placing a gentle hand on her brother's face, lightly tracing the growing red mark over Jason's cheek. "The real question is, are you?"_

 _Jason shrugged and looked at his twin sister, their eyes meeting for all of a second. "I'm fine, Cher," he lied, breaking the brief moment of eye contact between them. "I'm good."_

" _Are you sure?" Cheryl pressed, raising an eyebrow at her brother, not believing him._

" _Positive," Jason confirmed._

 _They both jumped as there was a clatter downstairs, followed by a smash._

" _I hate it here, JJ," Cheryl quivered, and Jason put his arm around his sister's shoulders. "She's scary, especially when she gets mad like that."_

" _I know, Cher," Jason crooned, holding his sister close. "I hate it here too."_

 _There was another smash, and they both winced when they heard their mother curse._

" _I'm scared JJ."_

" _I know, but everything's going to be okay Cher, I promise."_

 _Cheryl looked at Jason in disbelief. "You can't promise that."_

" _As long as I'm here, Cheryl, I won't let her hurt you."_

 _A third smash downstairs made Cheryl whimper slightly and hide her face in Jason's shoulder. There was the sound of clicking heels downstairs, and the clicking was growing louder…_

" _She's coming up here, JJ," Cheryl panicked, jumping away from Jason. "You need to go."_

" _Cheryl, it's okay."_

" _She told you to be in your room," the redhead rambled, walking towards her bed. "She's going to get mad if she finds you in here."_

" _It's okay, Cher – " Jason tried to argue._

" _No JJ, it's not." Cheryl interrupted, refusing to let her brother continue. Her eyes darted towards the door in fright, and she lowered her voice, sounding a whole lot older than the nine year old she was when she next spoke. "There's only so much china she can break before she has to move onto something else."_

 _Saying that, she placed her hand on her brother's other cheek, the one that remained porcelain white because it had narrowly escaped their mother's anger. "Please don't let that thing be you."_

 _Knowing his sister was right, Jason nodded, admitting defeat in his argument. "I'll head to bed then. Night Cher."_

" _Night JJ," she whispered as her brother snuck out of her room, gently shutting the door behind her._

 _Silently, she made her way towards her door, taking in a deep breath as she turned the key in the lock, just how Jason had shown her. She winced as the loud click shattered through the silent shadows of Thornhill. Hearing her mother's footsteps getting closer, she froze as she saw her mother's silhouette appear behind the door, hoping she'd done it right, that the door wouldn't give, that she was safe._

 _There was a slight jolt of the door handle, and Cheryl felt her breathe become trapped in her lungs. But true to Jason's word, the door didn't open. There was a huff of dissatisfaction from the other side of the door, and another, much more louder jolt as her mother tried to force it open, but once again the door stood firm and strong._

 _Climbing into bed, Cheryl let out a sigh of relief. She was safe from her mother. She was safe from the monster lurking in the shadows of Thornhill, even if it was only for that one night..._

* * *

That lock would become a blessing for Cheryl as she grew up, and she tried to remind herself of that as she brought her breathing under control. As a nine year old, that night was one of the scariest of her life. It was only with age, and with leaving the house of horrors her mother had kept her trapped in, that Cheryl realised no nine year old should spend their life in terror. That no nine year-old should spent sleepless nights staring at the door while her parents argued, while her mother screamed at her brother, hoping to god that it wouldn't be her that would face the brunt of their anger. No child should have to hear the click of a lock to be able to sleep at night. Nobody should have to live like that. Nobody should have to live in terror of the shadows and the dark.

Not when they were facing something much more sinister than the prospect of the boogeyman hiding beneath the bed... no, Cheryl and Jason Blossom were facing something that chilled them to the bones... the two Blossom twins' worst nightmare was something much more real. The monster lurking in the shadows of Thornhill was far more dangerous than any with big teeth and sharp claws, and perhaps it was the fact that monster was breathing through the lungs of their mother that made it so much scarier...

It was better these days. The darkness wasn't as scary these days. With her mother miles away and confined to the depths of her past, Cheryl could sleep peacefully, or as peacefully as one can with a restless mind and a guilty conscience. But being back in Riverdale, and knowing her mother was haunting the hallways of a renovated Thornhill on the outskirts of town, it made the past all come flooding back again.

Most of all, it was hearing JJ say that, hearing the tone of his voice and seeing those expressions out the corner of her eye, those actions that were so uncannily identical to her brother's all those years ago, that took her back to the start of the argument that night and the terror that followed.

That night was the first time that Cheryl had seen her mother's anger get unrestrained. Their dad had been out of town, of managing some part of the business, whether that was the Maple Syrup one or the drugs one she had no idea. Clifford Blossom was no angel, but he was definitely a peacekeeper of sorts when it came to managing Penelope Blossom. Their mother might still get angry, but he always did something to calm the woman down before it got out of hand. He took some control before it went to far. Perhaps he really did care about his children… or perhaps the piles of shattered china gathering on his carpets were getting too expensive to replace every time his wife was in a rage.

"Mom?" Jason asked softly, placing a tentative hand on his mom's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Fighting the growing pool of tears gathering in her eyes, Cheryl nodded. "I'm fine JJ."

"Then why are you sat on the side of the road?"

"Just had an off moment," Cheryl said, standing up and patting down her trousers. "Sorry about that, baby."

"Are you sure you're okay driving though? You looked pretty scared."

"I'm fine, JJ," she insisted, giving her son a quick hug. "But thanks for caring about me."

"I love you Mom."

Cheryl smiled softly, proud of her son and glad that he wasn't going to push the matter any further. "I love you too, kiddo. I love you to the stars."

Jason beamed a smug smile as he pulled away from his mother and the pair made their way back to the car.

Taking a deep breath, Cheryl turned the key in the ignition and put her foot on the gas. "How's about we head home JJ?"

"Home?"

"Yeah," Cheryl replied. "Let's go see how Uncle Jug decorated your room in Thistlehouse…"

 _ **AN/ Thank you all for reading this and I hope you all enjoyed it. Please follow, favourite and work your magic guys, because every bit of support this gets means the world to me! After seven reviews, I'm going to post the next chapter, so get reviewing. Have a nice night :D**_


	4. Chapter 4: Of Shadows And Snowflakes

_**AN / Well, hey guys :) I've got the seven reviews, but what's weird is that people haven't been posting them publicly... I've been getting them as PMs... is that what we do now?**_

 _ **I can't believe this time next week I'll be getting ready for Christmas! I'm so freaking excited for it. Like next level excited. It might not be working out how I'd planned, which is sad in a way, but I'm sure everything I have planned now will be just as good, if not better. We've got our tree today and I'm sat by it while I'm editing this... it smells so amazing! I've got Home Alone on in the background and a bowl of popcorn next to me. I'm feeling soooooo Christmassy and I hope everyone else has a happy holidays!**_

 _ **Anyway... how is everyone? Do carry on getting in touch, because it makes my day to hear from you all. Shoutout to Changingdestiny40 for all the support and for giving me the idea that inspired me to write this.**_

 _ **Here's the latest instalment, I hope you all enjoy it! Thank you so much for all the support up to now, and please review when you've finished reading to make an English girl's Christmas that little bit merrier. Love you guys :)**_

Returning to Thistlehouse was not something Cheryl had awaited with eager anticipation. The memories lurking within the shadowy hallways of Thornhill and Thistlehouse were enough to make Cheryl's blood run cold, and as the red Tesla cruised along the winding roads towards her old home, Cheryl began to feel that omnipresent darkness of Thistlehouse threaten to flood her again, just like it had all those years ago.

The Blossom estates had always been secluded, distant from the down, which was possibly an explanation for the poor relationship the redheaded bloodline had with the rest of Riverdale's population. The dense forest surrounding them, separating the land of the smaller Thistlehouse from the main estate of Thornhill, only seemed to have grown thicker, and significantly darker with time.

With every minute the car travelled towards Thistlehouse, the thicker the forest around them got.

"Mom?" Jason asked, tapping his fingers against the dashboard. "How much longer?"

"Not long, JJ," Cheryl replied, pointing to a turn off a little down the road. "That's the turn to get to Thornhill, and Thistlehouse is about a mile after that."

"Who lives in Thornhill?" Jason asked, blissfully ignorant of the story behind the two Blossom houses, and completely oblivious to all of the Blossom family history except the existence of his uncle Jason.

Passing the turn off, Cheryl's grip on the steering wheel tightened. She fought the instinct to tell Jason that no-one lived there, because someone did. Someone lived in the recently rebuilt Thornhill who should have been rotting in the inside of a prison cell. After everything that happened twelve years ago, her mother should never have seen daylight again, let alone be released on the grounds of good behaviour and ushered back into a familiar life of luxury.

"Some old woman," Cheryl lied, gulping slightly as, when she looked through the trees, she could see a light on in the window of the mansion. "She's a nasty piece of work though, JJ, so we'll be staying well clear of her."

To call Penelope Blossom a nasty piece of work was a very succinct way of describing her. In cheryl's eyes, no words would ever describe how evil her mother was. The English language didn't justify the kind of person Penelope Blossom was, and it would never be capable of explaining her mother's actions all those years ago, of conveying the complete and utter terror of Cheryl's childhood and teenage years.

And even if it did, Cheryl promised herself she would not be unlocking the nightmares of her strained relationship with her mother and letting Jason see them. How could she possibly do that to her son? Jason was better off believing his grandparents were dead than knowing who they really were, knowing the truth about how the Blossom blood circulating his body could twist people, manipulating them into doing unspeakable things and definitely better than knowing that his grandmother was still haunting the town, still manipulated by that blood.

Remembering what Betty had said a few years ago on a fleeting visit to New York only confirmed Cheryl's opinion on the matter. The blonde had compared Penelope Blossom's return to Riverdale to the boogeyman, to the monster hiding in the shadows beneath the bed. Knowing she was there was scary, but only after nightfall. In the darkness, Penelope Blossom was a threat, an oppressive force skulking around town with vengeance pulsing through her veins.

But that vengeance, it had nobody to be directed at. Cheryl had vanished without a trace. Toni Topaz was keeping a low profile, and the Serpent girl was always surrounded by other ruffians, other members of that filthy, wretched gang. Just like her daughter, Toni Topaz was untouchable. There was nobody Penelope Blossom could unleash her wrath on and derive any form of satisfaction from doing so. Being out of that prison cell only smelled sweet when she was under the illusion she could seek revenge on her daughter, and learning that the only other remaining Blossom had dropped off of the grid had meant she was stuck in a newly rebuilt Thornhill, haunting the passages and lingering in the shadows.

That's what Cheryl reminded herself of when she caught a distant glimpse of a round window poking out of the oppressing mansion's roof in the rear-view mirror. She was too far away from that window to see inside it, too busy focusing on her driving to see the red hair, slightly greyer than it was eleven years ago, and a gloved hand touch the glass.

Maybe if she had been able to see those things, she wouldn't be feeling as secure driving down the road, because very few people drove down that winding road…

* * *

Pulling up in front of the ageing cottage, Cheryl turned to glance at the household that had, once upon a time, been her living nightmare. Like all Blossom properties, it was grand. It was oversized. It was designed to intimidate, to remind visitors of who its owners were, and the kind of power they had. It was dark and scary. Cheryl trembled slightly as she cut the engine off.

Wordlessly, she opened the car door and got out, walking up to that heavy oak door and unlocking it with the keys Betty had handed her in the office of the Register leaving Jason to follow, slightly confused by his mother's actions.

Stepping over the threshold, Cheryl let out an audible sigh of relief when she saw Betty and Jughead had made good on their promise. They'd completely renovated the inside of Thistlehouse. There was light downstairs. Gone was the dark, polished wood that jumped out of every corner, instead replaced by white and pine. The downstairs, much to Cheryl's delight, had been made open plan, with a massive, airy, kitchen fitted with polished work tops and, most importantly, a coffee machine. There was a breakfast bar with red leather stools at one end, and Jason climbed up onto a stool, swinging his legs round to get comfy.

"This place is huge, Mom," he gasped, spinning on the stool to take a proper look. "It's like one of the houses the Kardashians own!"

Cheryl chuckled lightly at her son's awe, relieved, first that he was happy with the house, but also that it bore no resemblance to the place it was eleven years ago. She opened up a few of the cupboard doors, trying to acquaint herself with her new kitchen. When they'd lived in New York, it had been Cheryl's dream to have a massive kitchen, and now it had come true. Grinning, she found a cupboard holding glasses, and she pulled out two medium sized ones, familiar from their home back in New York, filling them up using the dispenser on the fridge. Betty and Jughead had truly outdone themselves… or more accurately, Andrews' construction had done a phenomenal job.

"So I take it you like it here, JJ?" Cheryl asked, amused by her son. She watched as her took a sip from his water, nodding as he drank, before the small redhead all but jumped off of the stool to go look out of the bifold doors spanning one of the walls.

"Jeeeeeeez," Jason said, gazing out into the garden, "we have a garden?"

"That we do JJ," Cheryl mused, walking over to the doors and placing a hand on her son's shoulder. The garden was unrecognisable, just like the interior of the house. Neatly trimmed flower beds lined the large patch of grass, with a patio and a pool at the end. Cheryl grinned at the thought of the pool out there, already knowing how much Jason would love it.

"We could get a dog Mom!" Jason exclaimed, all but running around the rooms before collapsing on one of the large leather sofas. "Like a massive boxer or a Labrador or a husky…"

"Or a spaniel or a beagle, JJ," Cheryl suggested, "something small we could actually manage."

"Nah," he moaned, "something big! 'Cause bigger is better."

Cheryl stifled a giggle and a sob when she heard her son say that. The tone, the way his eyes rolled and how his voice caught, it was all Jason. It was like watching her brother at her son's age. Though JJ had never met his uncle, it was uncanny how alike the two of them were.

"Don't let's get ahead of ourselves, JJ," Cheryl chuckled, raising her own glass to her lips. "Now, why don't you run upstairs and see if Uncle Jug got your room right."

"Sounds good Mom," he agreed, but then pulled a face, "he was joking earlier wasn't he?"

"Joking?" Cheryl repeated. "What about?"

"My room," Jason stated. "He said he'd made it a princess room."

"Well, JJ, there's nothing wrong with princesses…"  
"But I don't like princesses!" he moaned, "I like astronauts. And hockey. And guitars. And aliens. Not pink. Not princesses."

Laughing, Cheryl replied, "well I'm pretty sure your Uncle Jug knows that JJ, so I wouldn't be too worried."

Her son shot her a disbelieving look before running upstairs to check out his new room. Cheryl followed him, smiling when she saw how – just like with downstairs – the Jones's had replaced the dark wood doors and painted the walls a pale gold colour. It was relaxing, and very Cheryl.

Opening the door, Cheryl stepped into her son's room. He was in the box room, a room that had previously been her mother's study. It wasn't very big in comparison to all the others, but it was still bigger than the average room, and cosy enough that it didn't get too scary in the middle of the night like the rest did.

Jughead had left the walls painted white, instead choosing to put frames up. Within these frames, there were pictures of the things Jason loved. One had a photo of the NYC Rangers team from last season. Another was a framed Star Wars poster that Cheryl rolled her eyes on, cursing Jughead Jones for corrupting her baby boy.

Against one wall stood a desk, and above the desk was a corkboard, where Cheryl sensed Betty's influence. Pinned to the board where a few pictures, mostly of JJ and Cheryl, the picture of JJ and Jughead in ToysRUs stood by the massive Darth Vader and pretending to be stormtroopers, tickets from hockey matches and Broadway shows he'd been to. A few of the Pokemon trading cars her son was obsessed with. On top of the desk were a few cowboy figures, and on the shelves lining the other walls was the Lego collection JJ proudly owned.

Cheryl smiled softly at the room, knowing by the grin on her son's face that Jughead had done a great job there. Jason didn't even have to say anything to show how happy he was with his new room. Instead, he just sat at the desk and started playing with the cowboys.

"What do you think JJ?"

The young boy turned to shoot his Mom a toothy grin. "I love it."

Cheryl smiled back at her son and nodded. "I'm gonna go unpack in my room JJ, so I'll leave you in peace."

"Okay Mom," he replied, shrugging his shoulders as he turned his attention back to the figures in his hands.

* * *

Being back in Thistlehouse wasn't hurting Cheryl as much as she'd anticipated. Yes, it was hard, seeing the familiar corridors and rooms, but the fact it had been redecorated to disguise the dark, shadowy memories of the past lurking in the halls of the house made it a damn sight easier. Seeing Jason happy with his new home made her feel hopeful. Maybe this was the chance to do it right. It was her second chance. She was home. Back in Riverdale, where her friends – her real family – were. Here, Jason would be surrounded by tonnes of people who cared about him, could join the adventure scouts Dilton Doiley ran these days, could go out on walks and play in the garden, eat burgers at Pop's and hang out with his cousins. Cheryl smiled at that. Already, she knew how nice it was going to be to spend more time with Betty and Veronica. She might even make plans to see King and Katya again, because it had been far too long since the redhead had seen her favourite Russian and Texan. And then there was Toni…

Toni Topaz. Antoinette Topaz. Toni with the pink highlights and big brown eyes like melted chocolate. The Southside Serpent who'd stolen her heart all those years ago. The tiny girl with the dangerous motorbike that had always been far too big for her. Cheryl wondered whether Toni Topaz had ever quite grown into her motorbike. Judging by the other woman's height earlier, Cheryl suspected not.

So, Toni Topaz was photographer for the Register? Cheryl couldn't imagine a better career for her ex-girlfriend. Toni had always been vocal of her love for photography. Smiling slightly, Cheryl remembered that week they'd spent travelling the country, and how that Nikon camera, ancient even then, had always been swinging from the other girl's neck, always ready for her to take a picture in the opportunity arose. Cheryl wondered if Toni still had that camera, and suspected that if she did, Toni would probably use that to take her pictures. That thing had never failed Toni.

Not like Cheryl. Cheryl still bitterly regretted the day she stormed out of her grandmother's funeral and didn't return. She still felt the guilt pool in her stomach when the memories of the endless phone calls from Toni she refused to accept flooded her brain. She still hated the fact a month after leaving Riverdale she changed her number, cutting Toni Topaz out of her life completely.

There had been a few times over the years when Cheryl had thought she'd seen Toni around New York. For all it was a popular tourist destination, there were few people in the city with bubblegum pink highlights running through their hair. It was also pretty uncommon to see someone around Broadway sporting a Southside Serpent jacket. It had shaken her to the bones that day when she'd seen Toni for the first time since leaving Riverdale.

* * *

 ** _Almost eleven years ago..._**

 _That time, it had been nearly a year since the funeral. Cheryl was in the arms of John-Phillipe, standing in front of the massive Christmas tree at Rockefeller, snowflakes trapped in her fiery hair. It was freezing cold but he'd insisted he was taking her on a date, and they'd been ice skating and were planning to head to the Gershwin to see Wicked._

 _Toni Topaz had been in New York for nearly two days, searching all over in a desperate bid to find the redhead she loved. For Toni, time was running out. She'd attempted to search for Cheryl three times previously, visiting the city over weekends and school breaks, popping in and out of shops to show a picture of Cheryl from that day at Dinseyland, asking if anybody had seen the girl in the photo._

 _This time, she was frequenting tourist destinations, vividly remembering how Cheryl had once said she would take Toni to New York at Christmas. How she'd take her ice skating, how they'd dress up to go to the theatre, how they'd have breakfast at Tiffany's, how they'd see the tree… She'd been to all of those places, and she'd had no luck in the slightest._

 _Jughead and Betty had tried to put her off even going. They'd said it was stupid, and that trying to find Cheryl in New York was the same as looking for a needle in a haystack. But Toni didn't believe them. They'd tried to convince her that it was time to move on, to let go of the relationship she and Cheryl had once shared, because if the redhead hadn't come back or made any attempt to contact her, it was clear that she didn't want to be found. They'd said that Toni's efforts were wasted, that Cheryl Blossom was probably locked in the arms of somebody else, and that Toni deserved the same._

 _They said the past was something that she shouldn't cling to, that it was time to forget about Cheryl Blossom._

 _But Toni couldn't. How could she? How could she forget the girl she loved?_

 _She'd stood by the tree for nearly an hour before admitting defeat, heading towards the road to hail a cab. Her destination? JFK. To travel straight to the airport and fly back home. That was the time she'd finally given up. It was a waste of her time. Cheryl Blossom had got her wish. The redhead had vanished, becoming – as she had put it – just another face in the crowd. But she wasn't anywhere to be seen in those crowds…_

 _It was Toni's retreating form that Cheryl had seen that day. She didn't need to see the other girl's face to know who it was. Seeing Toni had made Cheryl's blood run cold. Seeing that Serpent jacket, it was a reminder. That she wasn't the girl she'd told the boy beside her she was. That she had a past. And that the past had finally caught up to her._

 _The past had made a visit to the present in the form of Toni Topaz, but as Cheryl watched the smaller girl walk away and climb into the back of a cab, the redhead knew that visit was fleeting, final even._

 _Why hadn't she ran after Toni Topaz that day? Cheryl asked herself that on what came to be a daily basis. She'd think of that in the middle of the night, waking up in a cold sweat and overthinking. Why did she let the love of her life slip through her fingers? Why had she cut Toni Topaz off? Every regret would attack her on those dark, never-ending nights. Every single bad memory, every fear, everything. Toni Topaz most of all._

 _That girl, with her bubblegum pink highlights, she was the only ghost of Cheryl's past that didn't make the redhead tremble in fear when she made an appearance in her dreams. Toni's voice was always soothing, but sad, distant. Waking up from those dreams just left Cheryl empty. It was like her brain already knew of the guilt Cheryl felt, determined to seek pleasure from torturing her by forcing her to think of Toni. She'd let Toni go despite the Serpent girl being the one thing she wanted._

* * *

That evening was going to be her chance to change that. Walking into her old bedroom and smiling at how Jughead and Betty had transformed it to mirror her room in New York, with the pale gold wallpaper patterned with scarlet red roses. A queen-sized bed still dominated the right hand side of the room, a four poster much like the one from before. Cheryl collapsed on the bed, sighing at how soft and comfy it was. Shaking the contents of her bag onto the bed, she picked up her phone, tapping the screen a few times before clicking on the picture of Jughead.

It rang for a few seconds before there was a click at the other end.

"Blossom?"

"Hey hobo," Cheryl joked, laughing slightly when she heard Jughead chuckle on the other end. For all they were close friends these days, Cheryl still enjoyed teasing the boy by using her old nickname from high school. "You've done a pretty good job on the house."

"A pretty good job?"

"A splendid one. Thank you. Me and JJ love it."

"Anytime Cheryl," Jughead replied. "Now, what do you want? I'm kind of busy at the minute…"

"I was wondering if maybe you and Betty would mind awfully if I asked you to watch JJ for a few hours tonight?"

"Babysitting, Blossom?"

"Please?" Cheryl whined, and she could feel Jughead's eyeroll despite being on the opposite side of town. "There's someone I need to meet up with…"

"Fine," Jughead groaned, "I'll come pick JJ up when we close up shop and take him for tea."

"Thanks Jug, I really appreciate it."

"Might I ask who you're meeting?"

"An old friend."

"How specific." Jughead muttered dryly. "I wasn't aware you had many friends."

There was a muffled snigger from the other end of the line and Cheryl felt her breath get trapped in her lungs. Jughead wasn't alone in his office. That much was certain. And that laugh… it didn't belong to Betty, or even Alice Cooper. Shit. That meant it was…

"By any chance might it be Toni Topaz you're meeting tonight?" Jughead asked, and Cheryl could hear the laugh in the background again. That laugh, it was Toni's, and Cheryl knew Jughead knew. "Come on, Bombshell, we're friends. We're grown ups, Cheryl, no need to be embarrassed."

Rolling her eyes, Cheryl groaned. "Well done, Sherlock."

"How cute."

"It's not like that," Cheryl rambled, "like we've barely spoken in over a decade so it'd be weird if it was like that, and she probably hates me and I wouldn't be surprised…"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever Cheryl. Just dress nice and be ready on time. Don't get drunk. You'll be fine."

"How supportive."

"I'm always a supportive friend of yours, Cheryl, and don't you forget it," Jughead mused. "Now, I've gotta go, because the paper won't print itself. I'll pick Jason up at five."

"Thanks Jug. You're an angel."

"I'll remind you of that next time you call me a hobo."

"See you later Jughead," Cheryl chuckled before cutting the call.

Sighing, she put her phone back in her bag before getting up, wandering over to the wardrobe and opening the doors, her gaze locking onto the variety of clothes within it. She needed something good for that night, something smart but not too smart. Sexy but not slutty. It needed to be just right.

Pulling out a few outfits, Cheryl started to feel like a teenager again. It was all just a dress up game really, just like it had been when she was with Ginger and Tina all those years ago as sixteen year olds, slapping on makeup and heels so they could sneak into Riverdale's only club. It was the nerves in her stomach that reminded her that this wasn't a game in the same way it had been with Ginger and Tina. This was something much more real. And – even though she was beyond excited to see Toni – that was scary.

Still, she wasn't going to let the Serpent girl know that. She was Cheryl Bombshell, and there was no way she would be the one trembling…

* * *

 _A slight bit earlier…_

To Penelope Blossom, seeing a red car in the distance was something of interest. After all, the only place down that road where one would drive to was Thistlehouse… and Thistlehouse had stood empty for elven years. At least, it had stood untouched until a few weeks ago when the Cooper daughter and her Serpent husband had been driving in and out. Penelope had presumed her daughter had gifted it to the couple. There was no point in Cheryl keeping hold of the property if she had no intention of living in it. But these last few weeks, more cars had been driving along those winding roads to Thistlehouse. More cars had driven up there, often followed by a few vans. The reason for that, Penelope Blossom had no idea. Unless… no, that couldn't be it. The old woman refused to consider that. There was no way that would be the reason people were driving there. After everything that had played out in the past and all the distance between her daughter and the town, it wasn't like Cheryl would return home. But then again, the car growing smaller in the distance was red. Red wasn't a common colour in Riverdale. Not these days. Her painted lips curled into a sneer at that thought. Red was a Blossom colour. And the only Blossom left was Cheryl.

Looking out of the window. Penelope Blossom let out an erratic laugh. That car, snaking its way towards Thistlehouse, that might be the sign she was waiting for. It might be the sign she was so desperately craving. It was her shot. Her chance at setting things right.

If that car was what she thought it was, Penelope Blossom might finally get to do what she'd wanted to do all that time ago…

 _ **AN/ DUN, DUN, DUUUUUN. The world's worst mother is not only free from prison, but back to her usual scheming self. What do you guys think she's got planned for Cheryl? Drop a review and tell me.**_

 _ **Thank you so much for reading this, and don't forget to follow, favourite and review so I can come back with the next part of the story :)**_


	5. Chapter 5: Unfinished Business

**_AN/ Evening guys. God I feel rough! We've finally finished for Christmas and the second I get home I come down with the stupid bug my sister had last week. Just in time for Santa to come *insert eye roll emoji*. How is everyone? All ready for the big day? I hope everyone's in good health, and I wish you all a happy holidays, even if you don't celebrate Christmas. I have got a Christmas flashback chap I could release tomorrow or on Christmas Eve if people are interested... if you'd like to read, get in touch with a review or PM... I always love your opinions :)_**

 ** _Anyway, enough of my rambling for today! As always, thank you to the moon and back for all of the amazing support and love this fic has been receiving. I hope you guys love this chapter..._**

" _My name is Antoinette Topaz. I'm twenty-nine years old,"_ Toni voiced in her head as she looked at herself in the mirror, desperately trying to control the paranoia - the panic, growing in her chest - threatening to erupt at any second. She was voicing the basic facts. The things she knew were true, the things nobody could take away from her, because that's what the doctor said to do when she felt like this. To remind herself of who she was, of what was important, that this, this would ground her. _"I live in Riverdale. My home is the Southside."_ Her gaze locked onto the tattoo on her arm, a tattoo shaped like a snake, a piece of ink she got to cement her roots on her body. Running her hands over the leather jacket in the sink, she reminded herself of her past loyalties; _"I'm a retired Serpent."_ She looked at the scar that ran down the length of her ribcage, wincing as she remembered what gave her it _. "I've been in a few tough fights, but I'm okay. I've survived a kidnap. I've survived heartbreak. I'm here. I'm okay. Everything's okay."_ Controlling her breathing, Toni put her hands on the side of the sink, clutching the china bowl and hoping this feeling would just go away. _"I'm a photographer for the Register. I work with my friend, Jughead Jones. He's a Serpent too. He's pretty cool. Those Serpents are pretty cool. They're my family. So's Toby. Toby's the best. He's an angel… even if he's a bit of a devil."_ She let out a choked laugh at that, struggling to breathe around it. _"Fucking hell, even if things are tough, they're better. I'm better. I'm okay. She can't hurt me."_

Exactly who 'she' was, even Toni didn't know. The obvious thought was Penelope Blossom, but perhaps after seeing the girl whom Toni had convinced herself was just a ghost who had vanished with the wind, perhaps Toni was more scared that it was Cheryl who would hurt her in that moment…

* * *

"Toni?" a concerned voice crooned, and the ex-Serpent nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Pushing the hand off her shoulder, Toni turned to face none other than Betty, who must've followed her into the bathroom. Not quite able to trust herself to talk without losing her composure altogether, Toni nodded slowly.

"Are you sure?" Betty asked, eyebrows raised, disbelieving.

Gulping, Toni nodded again. "I'm fine," Toni said breathlessly. "It's just, you know…"

The blonde nodded in understanding, not forcing Toni to continue. The poor girl struggled enough with the panic attacks herself and found it nearly impossible to talk about it with anyone else, let alone admit when she was having one.

They didn't happen as frequently these days, not like they did twelve years ago. It was in the weeks following the events in the maple syrup barn, where Toni had been held hostage by Penelope Blossom and threatened and kept – quite literally – in the dark, when the girl had gotten home and was trying to establish a new type of normal after Cheryl walked out her life, that Toni Topaz's panic attacks had begun.

In those days, it didn't take much to trigger them. It was in those days Toni was at her lowest. Penelope Blossom had yet to receive her sentence and – although she was being held in Keller's station – Toni didn't feel safe. She had a feeling in her stomach that whatever Penelope had started when she'd kidnapped her wasn't over yet. Not even after being arrested. To Toni, it would take a lot more than some iron bars keeping the older woman held in a prison cell to stop Penelope Blossom wreaking havoc again.

The whole situation screamed unfinished business. It was that knowledge that was tearing Toni apart. She knew deep down it wasn't over. It was there, as clear as day, when she left her Grandfather's trailer to go into town, it was that chill running down her spine when she walked alone at night, it was that sickening feeling in her stomach, twisting like a knife, whenever someone mentioned Cheryl Blossom's name.

That fear was always there for Toni. It never dulled or dissipated. If anything, that fear only seemed to build up, more and more, until eventually it reached a point that it became her living hell. It built up and resided in her chest, turning her feelings inside out and forcing her to lose control. It was terrifying. It was a nightmare. And it was killing her.

Betty finding out helped. It was when they were out for Veronica's eighteenth, partying in the Andrews' garage. Even though it was brightly lit, that room was crowded, packed to the brim with people from school. After a lot of thinking, Toni concluded that it was all the people that triggered her panic attack that time.

* * *

 _Eleven years earlier..._

 _It was suffocating. The claustrophobia of all those people, sweaty and packed together in Archie's garage like sardines in a tin, that tipped her other the edge. It took her back to that long night in the maple syrup barn, reminding her of that bag Claudius had draped over her head, rough and black, tied just ever too tightly around her neck that it would slowly choke her, but not enough to bring it to an end. Remembering that, remembering the darkness, remembering Penelope's sneer and the feeling of hands slapping against her face, remembering the threats, the way her breath was trapped in her lungs when she felt the cold metal of Penelope's gun pressed hard against her skull, it chilled her to the bones._

 _It came flooding back to her, the memories overwhelming her. All she could remember was gasping in that garage, feeling like she couldn't breathe, and pushing her way out, desperate to find fresh air. Betty had followed her, knowing something wasn't right, and rushed outside to find Toni sitting on the sidewalk, curled up in a ball, gasping and panting and holding her head in her hands._

 _At first, Betty didn't know what to do. Instinctively she wanted to wrap her arms around the smaller girl and give her a hug, hoping physical reassurance would do something. But the way Toni was positioned, as if to defend herself, told Betty she shouldn't smother her. So she just sat beside her, holding Toni's hands in hers, looking into Toni's eyes and telling her she was okay, that it would pass, to focus on her breathing, counting slowly from one to four, until the smaller girl calmed down._

 _The episode had knocked it out of Toni, and the smaller girl didn't even resist when Betty called Katya to pick her up, and the pair took her back to her grandfather's, where Toby opened the door with a knowing look and piggybacked his 'baby-sis' to her bedroom, tucking her up in bed and putting an old episode of Friends on. He sat on the edge of the bed, not asking any questions, waiting for Toni to speak. That was something she loved about her brother. He understood. He didn't force her to talk until she was ready. He didn't try to pull the answers out of her when he knew she wasn't in a position to give them._

 _If she remembered properly, she didn't even say anything at all to Toby that night, because she was out like a light when her head hit the pillow. Nor did she say much the next morning, when she wordlessly pulled on her clothes and did her makeup, putting on a tough face and a firm jaw so she could go out and face the world. It was an unspoken truth between them. They both knew the other suffered from these episodes, these… panic attacks… and they both supported each other through them. They just didn't analyse them after with each other because it was bad enough living through them once._

 _It was the next morning when she arrived in school and Betty asked if she was okay that Toni explained what had happened, telling the blonde of how that crowded garage took her back to memories of the night in the barn and how that panicked her and how she couldn't fight it, leading to her being a hyperventilating mess on the sidewalk, and apologised for ruining Betty's night. Betty just gave her a hug and told her not to be ridiculous, that she was far more concerned about Toni's wellbeing than being in the middle of a sweaty garage at a high-school party. It was Betty that went with Toni to the doctors, and got the Serpent referred to a therapist who was then able to help. It was only Betty who knew exactly what was happening when Toni suddenly went silent in conversations, and when the Serpent girl would disappear from the parties. She'd always follow and check up on her, just like she had that morning._

* * *

"So, Topaz," Betty began, "it's been a while since you've had one of these… am I crazy if I say Cheryl Blossom's return might have prompted this?"

"Probably not," Toni muttered, twisting the snake ring on her finger in the same way she always did when she was nervous. "When was I going to find out Cheryl was back?"

"You weren't, because when Cheryl decided a few months back she was coming home, we were told to keep in to ourselves," Betty admitted, not quite having the guts to look Toni in the eye. "She's not exactly here by choice, Toni, and with Penelope being back at Thornhill –"

"I still would like to think two of my closest friends would tell me the girl I loved was coming home!"

"Toni –"

"How long have you guys been in contact with her?" Toni demanded, looking Betty dead in the eye. "How long have you had a number, an address."

Sheepishly glancing at Toni, Betty squirmed. "Since before Jason was born."

"What?"

"When she called to say she was pregnant. We had a number."

"And you've been out to see her haven't you?"  
"I'm sorry Toni…"

"No, Betty, Sorry doesn't cut this," the ex-Serpent muttered, her hands moving as she spoke, a sure sign the girl was livid. "You knew. You let me go out there, to New York, searching for her, desperate to try and fix things, to bring her home. You knew exactly where she was and how I could reach her, but you conveniently forgot to tell me. You could've helped me find her – "

"Consider this, Toni!" Betty exclaimed, her voice rising as she felt Toni accuse her of betrayal. "What if Cheryl didn't want to be found? What if she was content with her life in New York?"

"Why didn't you even give me the choice?"

"It's not a choice! The girl wanted nothing to do with here, and only called me and Jug because she wanted us to know and to see her. She said we weren't to tell anyone other than Polly and Archie and Veronica."

"So they all knew?"

"They've been out there."

"Wow!" Toni fumed, grabbing her jacket. "So everyone knew this except me. How great!" With that, she stormed out of the bathroom and into the main office, where Jughead was sitting at the desk, and looked up in shock as Toni stormed past him.

"What's up, Topaz?" Jughead asked, bringing his hand up to straighten the crown-beanie that – even as an adult – he'd never managed to grow out of. "What's the problem?"

"Maybe the fact some of my closest friends have been keeping secrets from me for the last eleven years?"

Immediately realising what secret the girl was referring to, Jughead's gaze dropped to the floor. "Toni…"

"No Jughead. Don't. You know it was wrong."

"I always did think it was wrong," Jughead admitted, feeling a mixture of frustration and relief. "I wanted to tell you. It wasn't me who decided you weren't to know anything."

Toni turned back to Betty who stood in the doorway of the bathroom looking increasingly guilty. "Would you like to explain that?"

"Toni, I wanted to give Cheryl a fucking chance. Is that so much to say? She's my friend and I love her."

"She was my girlfriend! I loved her more than I've ever loved anything, and she was snatched from me in the cruellest twist of fate imaginable. If we'd talked it out maybe we would have sorted it."

"And then what?" Betty snapped. "You'd bring Cheryl back to Riverdale and live happily ever after? There are children's dreams more plausible, Toni. She had no intention of coming back. Not when all the memories are here."

"We could've moved elsewhere…"

"I thought you were over it, Toni. You were seventeen. You had next to no money. Other than Cheryl going to college, there was no way you could have afforded that."

"Still…"

"Toni, you're still in denial, eleven years later. It wouldn't have worked, namely because Cheryl didn't want it to. Can you honestly blame me for trying to break it off?"

"It was already broken off! All you did was stop me fixing it!" Toni yelled, kicking one of the many filing cabinets in the room, causing the thing to shake and everything stacked on top of it to fall with a clatter.

"What Betty means to say," Jughead argued, his voice calm, "is that some things aren't meant to be fixed, and in that moment, your relationship was one of those things. To tell you we had no idea where she was and no way of reaching her killed us, Toni, but in the long term it led to you accepting it was over. It was less painful."

"Still!" Toni snapped, "I would at least have liked a chance."

"A chance to do what exactly?" Betty seethed, "to go and knock at her door? To beg her to take another chance on you? To break what little resolve Cheryl Blossom had in those days and whatever she still had left of her heart intact? If you had gone you'd have only been playing yourself for a fool, Toni. We did you a favour."

"That's easy for you to say when the furthest Jughead has ever been from you was Toledo," Toni muttered, approaching the blonde. "When – even when your mother was hellbent on keeping you guys apart – you guys were at least in the same town and able to make it work. And you had friends helping you out. So don't you dare tell me you were doing me a favour."

Betty shivered slightly at how close Toni was to her, no doubt remembering the night at Thistlehouse all those years ago when the Serpent girl had squared up to Penelope Blossom.

"I'm beyond pissed," Toni continued, turning her gaze to look at Jughead, to look into the face of someone she would have trusted with her life. "You are two of my best friends. I fucking trusted you guys."

"Toni…" Jughead whispered, his eyes silently pleading with the girl, begging her to realise that what they had done, they'd done for her.

"Save it your explanations," Toni muttered, walking towards the door and putting her hand on the handle. "I'm heading home to get ready for my night out with Cheryl. Don't bother talking to me if I see you later."

"Don't be ridiculous, Toni," Jughead quipped, following the girl out of the door and out onto Main Street. "We're your friends."

"Well, call me naïve but I've always believed your friends are the people you can trust. Safe to say I was wrong."

"For fuck's sake, Topaz," he mumbled, "we're sorry, okay. We did what we did to do right by you, and maybe it was the wrong thing to do, but at the time, what else could we do? You were a mess when she left. Betty was protecting her, but Toni, I kept the secret to protect you."

Toni looked at him, and saw the genuine sincerity in the man's eyes. "Jug…"

"Everything with Cheryl was tearing you apart, Toni," he reminded her, placing a hand on her arm. "Please remember that. She broke your heart. I didn't want you to get any more broken."

Toni shook his hand off, but nodded slowly at him. "I'm still mad Jughead."

A light chuckle escaped the man before her. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you."

"Of course you wouldn't," she deadpanned.

"As the omniscient narrator, I know more than I let on," Jughead mused, "which is why I think tonight is a good way to fix things with Cheryl, and perhaps fix everything in yourself."

"What do you mean?" Toni demanded, her eyes narrowing as she watched Betty walk out of the office to stand next to her husband on the sidewalk.

"He means, maybe this is your shot at closure" Betty said. "It's your chance to either fix that relationship and bring Cheryl back into your life, or it's the one chance you're going to get to let go for good."

"Either way, Topaz, it's time you stopped living in the past," Jughead declared. "Eleven years is a long time. Things have changed. You've changed. Remember that."

"I will."

"Good," Jughead nodded, wrapping an arm around his wife's waist and smiling at Toni. "Now, it's nearly three so I suggest you head home and start getting ready for tonight. Bombshell might have changed, but I don't think people can change that much."

"What do you mean?"

Betty smirked when she caught on to what her husband was implying. "Jug means to say that Cheryl has always been a firm believer in etiquette. 'One must always dress appropriately'" she mimicked, making the trio burst into laughter. "Now go, be gone with you. Your princess awaits!"

Toni rolled her eyes. "I'm off!" she groaned, waving at the pair as she walked towards her bike, swinging her leg over it and revving the engine.

With a kick of her foot against the road, she spurned it into action, and began to race down the road, heading out of town and towards the Southside, blissfully unaware of the piercing gaze watching her.

* * *

Penelope Blossom had been sat on a bench outside the register for nearly an hour before the trio had come out of the door. She'd felt her breath hitch when she saw that girl… that Topaz… come outside in a mood, and had to fight a gasp when the girl had announced she was meeting none other than Cheryl.

So her daughter was back in town? Well, perhaps congratulations were in order. A housewarming gift or something along those lines.

She could scarcely believe Cheryl would return to Riverdale, and was shocked by her sudden luck. She had a score to settle with her daughter, and perhaps now – after nearly twelve years of waiting – it was time to settle it.

After all, nobody wants unfinished business…

 _ **AN/ Don't hate Jughead and Betty too much guys... they were only doing what they thought was best for their friends...**_

 _ **Thank you so much for reading this guys and I hope you all enjoyed it!**_

 ** _Sooooooo… what do you all think? How will Penelope settle her unfinished business? Don't be afraid to drop me a PM or a review and tell me if you're enjoying it or if there's something specific you guys would like me to explore._**

 _ **Don't forget what I said about that flashback Christmas chap I have written! If you're interested, do tell, and if I get say... 10 people who are interested?... I'll get that up before Christmas.**_

 _ **In case I don't, I hope everyone has a fantastic Christmas.**_


	6. Chapter 6: Well Call Me Stupid

_**AN/ Well then guys, this is longggg overdue. I meant to update this on New Year's Eve, but I never managed to finish the chapter, because I've been suffering a pretty bad bout of writer's block, and it's taken a liftetime to pull together something I could be proud of. I hope we're all okay, healthy and happy in 2019. It's my birthday today, and I can't believe I'm seventeen... I took my first driving lesson this morning, and much to my surprise, I didn't crash (are you all proud of me?!). For 2019, I've started up an Instagram account, and that's going to be the base from which I'll work at when I'm not posting so you guys can keep up to date with everything I've got going on and read work I'm doing that isn't strictly fanfiction. I'll also be using it to provide insight to updates on this fic, and a new one I'm planning on posting at the end of the week. Please go and give it a follow** thegirlwiththewords._ **on Instagram.**_

 _ **Anyway here's a new chapter. Hope you all enjoy!**_

"Mommmm," Jason hollered from his room, "the pretty lady from the burger place is coming up the driveway… I think she has a motorbike!"

Cheryl nearly dropped her curling iron when she heard Jason shout her. Glancing at her phone, she cursed Toni Topaz and her compulsive punctuality. It was five forty-five. And where was Jughead at? Not at Thistlehouse; that much was certain.

"JJ," the redhead called out, wrapping a strand of hair around the contraption in her hands to curl it, "Would you do me a massive favour and see our guest in? Offer her some juice or water and explain I'm getting ready sweetie."

"But Mom," Jason declared, walking into the room and collapsing on his mother's bed, "you always say I can't talk to strangers…"

"Well I give you permission just this once," she said, turning around to look at her son. "Go and get the door… be polite JJ!"

"When am I not?" the young boy mused, running down the stairs to greet the woman behind the door.

* * *

The door swung open before Toni had chance to ring the doorbell.

"Hiiiiiii," the kid standing in the doorway greeted. "You're really pretty!"

Toni blushed, looking at the boy and smiling softly when she realised he was just Cheryl in miniature. "Thanks kiddo. You're not too bad yourself, Mister."

"Hey!" the boy scolded, crossing his arms in a way that was far too like his mother to be allowed. "I'll tell my mom if you're mean to me."

"Aww, kid," Toni sighed, shaking her head, "you're adorable. Is that better?"

"Much better," the boy nodded. "Now are you just going to stand there outside, or are you coming in?"

"Jason!" a voice shouted from downstairs, and it didn't take much for Toni to imagine its owner's eye roll. "I thought we agreed you'd be polite.

"We did!" the boy yelled back, turning to face Toni with a smirk on his face. "Grown-ups these days, they're a pain, aren't they?"

Toni laughed at the kid in front of her, following him into the house. "That they are. Children are hardly any better though, I'll admit."

Guiding Toni into the kitchen, Jason carefully lifted two beakers from the cupboard, one green and the other red. "Do you have any kids? Uncle Jug doesn't. Nor does Auntie Veronica."

"Nope," Toni replied, popping the 'p' and wondering how long Cheryl was going to be.

"So… you're single?" Jason inquired, placing the beakers on the cupboard, adding another question before she had chance to reply. "Juice?"

"Yes and yes," Toni answered, taking a seat on one of the stools by the breakfast bar, taking how different the place looked into account. "You have a lot of questions, kiddo."

"Yep," Jason mimicked, popping the 'p' in the same way Toni said. "Uncle Jug says questions are the sign of a good reporter."

"Well, you're Uncle Jug is right, kid."

"What's your name?"

"Toni."

"Hi Toni, I'm Jason. I'm ten and before you ask, yes I'm related to Cheryl."

"You have a lot to say for yourself young man, you know that?"

Jason cheeks burned a vicious shade of red and the boy ran his hands through his hair while thought of a response.

Before he had chance to reply, the ringing of the doorbell chimed through the house.

Jason jumped up, running towards the door. "I'll get it Mom!"

His shout to his mother was closely followed by a cheer of "Uncle Jug!"

"Taking part in the Spanish Inquisition there, Topaz?" a familiar voice mused, and Toni jumped, feeling a sudden chill run down her spine.

Turning around, Toni nearly jumped again when she looked at the woman standing in the doorway. "Cheryl…" she whispered. "Jeez, you look… you just look wow!"

"Wow?" Cheryl repeated, and it was all Toni could do to nod.

The way the woman's hair was held in perfect curls that cascaded down her back in ringlets, framing her face in a way that made the redhead's face suddenly look a million times softer than it had mere hours ago. The way Cheryl's eyes were shining, they had that glint in them, a look that was just a tiny bit dangerous but – should the onlooker actually know Cheryl – they'd know it was a look of approval, even happiness. She was wearing a dress too, a black number drawn in at her waist, emphasising how slim she was. Toni almost chuckled when she noticed its length. It was easily as short as Cheryl's skirts had been back in high school, and it truly seemed as if old habits died hard. Same could be said for her lipstick, still applied with an expert hand in red. Toni wondered if Cheryl still used the same type. She probably did. It looked far too much like the girl's old one to be anything else. Glancing downwards, she saw Cheryl's heels, six inches, just like before. Stilettos in scarlet red. Nothing less for Cheryl Bombshell. Cheryl looked amazing. She looked stunning. She looked a million different adjectives, all of them not quite able to fully describe what Toni was looking at. They all fell short of what Cheryl Blossom was, none of them quite able to do Cheryl's immaculate appearance justice.

"You always did know how to charm a woman, Topaz." Cheryl mused smirking at the woman sitting in her kitchen. "You scrub up well."

Though her remark was said in a sarcastic manner, Cheryl hadn't delivered a compliment that genuine to anyone other than her son in the last ten years. And she was entirely right.

Toni was wearing a tartan skirt, the red of the skirt contrasting beautifully with the black leather of her Serpent jacket. She had a simple choker around her neck, and – as Cheryl let her gaze wander – she noticed a snake ring winding its way around her fingers. Distracted by the ring, Cheryl continued to stare at the girl, smirking harder when she saw the big, bulky, black boots – Doc Martens, she noted, Topaz was going up in the world – on the feet of the other woman.

"You have a real thing for staring at women, Bombshell," Toni remarked, snapping the redhead from her daze. "You should probably get that seen to."

"Only beautiful women, Topaz," Cheryl joked, rolling her eyes when she heard a giggle from behind the door, followed by a low chuckle. "Okay boys, you do know you don't have to stand out there, right?"

"But Mom," Jason groaned, "Uncle Jug said we were playing spies."

"Of course he did," Cheryl replied, shaking her head at the duo. Glancing towards Toni, she didn't miss the icy look she was shooting Jughead, something that confused the redhead. What had caused that? The tension between the two of them was palpable. It didn't take much for Cheryl to see it, and it didn't take long for her to begin feeling a part it herself.

"So you two, we're heading out…"

"And we'll see you later, Bombshell," Jughead finished, pulling two bowls out of a cupboard. "Go, have fun," he said with a wink, lowering his voice so Jason didn't catch the last bit, "but not too much fun!"

"Jug…" Cheryl groaned, and Toni rolled her eyes.

"Now be gone, ladies!" Jughead declared, ushering them out of Cheryl's own kitchen and out of the door, shutting it behind them.

* * *

"Well," Cheryl deadpanned, "I can cross one of my friends locking me out of my own house from my bucket list."

Toni laughed, turning her attention to her fingers to try and distract from the nerves building in her stomach, threatening to erupt. She didn't need another panic attack. Not again. Not when she'd already had one that day.

Certainly not in front of Cheryl Blossom.

"So Veronica's?" Cheryl began, noticing how quiet Toni Topaz had suddenly become, and worrying that it was her comment about beautiful women that had triggered it. Damn. She shouldn't have said that; it was much to forward.

"Perhaps," Toni replied, obviously distracted, "but I'm not sure if I fancy it."  
"You don't fancy it? So what, we're just going to stand outside my house all night?"

"No, Cheryl, I didn't mean it like that."

"Then how did you?"

"Just. Listen. I don't know. I just don't want to go there."  
"Okay," Cheryl shrugged, her expectations for the night crashing. "Not to impose, but is everything alright?"

Toni looked at Cheryl and felt herself longing to say everything she'd heard from Jughead and Betty a few hours before.

"Fine," Toni lied, breaking eye contact with Cheryl and glancing at the floor. "Now, where go we?"

"Well I haven't been around here for a while, Topaz," Cheryl pointed out, "so it's your call…"

"How do you fancy doing something a little different?" Toni proposed, and Cheryl rose an eyebrow.

"A little different in what way?"

"A little different in a 'climb on the back of my motorbike and you'll find out later' kind of way."

"Intriguing," Cheryl replied, still sceptical of what the other woman meant. "But I don't do motorbikes…"

"I don't do cars, Blossom," Toni reminded Cheryl, "for obvious reasons, so it's up to you: either you climb on my bike with me, or we walk the two and a bit miles into town, with you in six inch heels. I'm good with either."

Cheryl grimaced at the thought of walking to town in her stilettos. "Bike it is."

"Good." Toni confirmed, walking over to her bike and climbing on. Cheryl stood frozen, watching the other girl bring the ancient Harley Davison towards her. "So Blossom, are you coming or are you just going to stand there gawping?"

In reply, Cheryl climbed onto the back of the bike, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl's waist. Toni sighed contently.

The redhead smirked as Toni revved the engine and began to ride the bike down the driveway. Feeling the other girl relax, Cheryl piped up, "so Topaz, is this whole bike thing just an excuse to get my arms round you again?"

"Obviously, Blossom!" Toni shouted, her voice scarce heard amid the wind. It wasn't too quiet for Cheryl to hear, and the redhead's cheeks burned the same colour of her hair for the remainder of their journey.

Being on that bike, for Cheryl, was liberating. There was something to be said for racing down the winding roads towards town, feeling the wind rush through her hair, the vibrations of the roaring engine beneath her and the girl in her arms. The last thing was her favourite, though the redhead would have refused – in that moment – to admit it. Toni Topaz hadn't changed these last eleven years. Not in the slightest. It was then, on an ancient motorbike that most certainly hadn't been checked by a mechanic, that Cheryl realised something. Her comfort with Toni, the contentedness about being with the smaller girl… it was home. She was home.

* * *

When Toni cut off the engine, Cheryl was shocked. When Toni had suggested she would have to "wait and see" the improvised plan for their night, she had not expected this. The five seasons? She thought that might have been on the cards. A walk down by Sweetwater River? Perhaps… actually no, because that mass of cold, dark, unforgiving water was the site of bad memories for both of them, somewhere Cheryl had no intention of ever revisiting. Not in person, anyway, because she was forced to go back there all too often in her nightmares. A chill shot through her spine when she thought of those crashing waves, of an over-turned rowing boat, of icy water strangling her, of a bottle labelled CHCl3 left discarded on the shore… Sweetwater River was somewhere less than sweet. Certainly not somewhere Toni would take her. Maybe even Pop's would have been a good idea for their evening, seeing as they used to frequent it when they were younger. The diner had always been a magnet for the teenagers of Riverdale, a place where they could spend hours in those red booths, sipping on a milkshake or picking at a basket of fries, free from judgement and safe from the horrors of the world outside them. Pops was somewhere secure, somewhere Cheryl could relax. Pop's was good.

Riverdale High, however, was the opposite.

Cheryl couldn't quite comprehend what Toni's reasoning was, but she didn't understand why this was the Serpent girl's choice location. Nevertheless, she still took Toni's hand, letting the smaller girl lead her into the empty building, the hallways hollow in the late hour.

Stepping into the vacant corridors, Cheryl felt the nostalgia hit her like a punch in the stomach. Riverdale High was remarkably unchanged, just like everywhere else in the town. Walking hand in hand with Toni, she walked down those familiar hallways, stopping every now and then to admire some freakishly familiar detail. They lingered for a while before the trophy cabinet, Cheryl silently grieving when she saw Jason's football portrait standing at the back. It was a photo of a boy they'd never get to see grow up, a father who would never see his own children grow up. She felt tears well up in her eyes, and pulled Toni away before she could let them fall.

Wordlessly, Toni guided Cheryl through a labyrinth of hallways until drawing to a halt outside a locker. Cheryl didn't even need to read the number on its door to realise the significance of it. Locker 492. The locker that had once been her own.

The redhead raised an eyebrow as she watched the other girl's gaze become fixed on the floor, a look of intense concentration forming on her face. The smaller girl took a step away, walking down the corridor before stopping by a poster advertising the current high school production.

"Hey Cheryl," she called, "come here."

Unsure of what Toni wanted, Cheryl took several tentative steps forward, approaching the other woman hesitantly. She glanced at Toni, the meaning of this whole set up suddenly dawning on her.

"Everyone loves a good friend, right?" Toni declared, and Cheryl's suspicions were confirmed.

"Well call me stupid, Topaz, because I feel the same…" Cheryl replied, a grin beginning to spread over her features, adding warmth to her sharp, marble-cold features.

"I believe that line was a lot later in the script, Blossom…"  
"Well I'm not wasting time today."

"Cher," Toni began, "do you actually feel that way?"

The redhead nodded. "I do. Even after everything that happened, after the whole ordeal with Nana Rose, after New York. My feelings towards you have never changed, TT."

"Then why hide away?" Toni asked, well aware of how many miles she'd left the boundaries behind her in that moment.

Cheryl shrugged. "I couldn't do it. I broke your heart and I couldn't bear the thought of calling home one day to discover somebody else had picked up the pieces with you."

Recounting the several brief flings she had partaken in to try and remove all memories of Cheryl Blossom from her mind, Toni knew that nobody else had managed to ever leave a lasting impact on her like the redhead had. "There was never anybody else, Cher; at least, not anybody who stuck around."

"Why didn't you call?"

"I tried. I even came to New York but never found you."

Cheryl suddenly felt guilt sink into the depths of her stomach like a stone. For the last ten and a bit years, she'd tried to deny that girl in New York was actually Toni. She'd tried to convince herself that she'd been replaced, that forgetting was the best way to heal her broken heart. All along, the fragments of her heart had been telling her she was in the wrong place. When she was in John-Phillipe's arms, her heart was telling her it was wrong. It had been telling her she was missing something. Something big.

Glancing into those eyes, she knew that the thing she'd been missing was Toni Topaz.

"I'm so sorry, Toni," she whispered, her voice cracking as the memories began to flood her.

"For what?"

"For not running after you."

"What?"

"Rockefeller Centre. It was you I'd seen, but I've been trying to convince myself it wasn't. Climbing in the back of a cab. Even in the bleak midwinter, you refused to wear a coat. In your Serpent jacket."

The redhead started to ramble more and more as Toni fell into silence. She'd spent that whole weekend searching for Cheryl, and for nearly eleven years she'd been deadly certain that the girl she loved was just another ghost of her past. She'd given up at the ice rink. She'd finally admitted defeat. But still… she was that close?

"How do you even know I was there?" Toni eventually stammered, feeling the hurt begin to flood her veins.

"I saw you," Cheryl said, letting her gaze drop from the floor. "And I've regretted not shouting your name every day since."

Toni placed a gentle hand on Cheryl's chin, guiding the redhead to look at her. "No regrets, Blossom, okay?"

"But…"

Toni didn't let the other girl argue, softly placing her lips against Cheryl's, silencing the girl.

"We're here now, aren't we?" Toni whispered as she pulled away for breath.

Cheryl nodded wordlessly, leaning back in.

Toni shook her head, moving a little away from the other girl. "What happened before, that doesn't matter, okay?"

Cheryl nodded.

"All that pain, all the hurt, we're leaving it in the past, where it belongs. What matters now is the present and the future."

Toni cursed herself for sounding so much like her therapist, but had to agree that Doctor Jameson's advice was right.

Dwelling in the past was not going to do either of them any good. Anything they felt before, maybe it was still there… judging by the way Cheryl was acting it certainly was… but that was before. They could have that again. There, in the now.

They could just be them.

Toni felt her head let go of any and all arguments, and she gave into those brown eyes before her, appreciating the longing hiding in those pools of melted chocolate.

She leaned in and damned the consequences.

It was time to try again.

 _ **AN/ Thank you all so much for reading, and I just want to say, even though I've been super inactive lately, every follow, favourite and review means the world for me. Please, please, please drop me a review so I can see how you all found the chapter, and drop me a few ideas about where you see the two of them going. Is there anything in particular you guys fancy seeing? Please tell me!**_

 _ **Love you all, and thank you so much for sticking with this :)**_


	7. Chapter 7 : Sugar And Spice

_**AN/ BONJOUR AMIGOS, LONG TIME, NO SEE. IN LIGHT OF THE CURRENT CLIMATE, I DECIDED TO USE SOME OF MY (NOW UNLIMITED) FREE TIME TO GET BACK INTO WRITING WHICH IN TURN HAS GOT ME CONTRIBUTING TO THIS. AFTER ALL THIS TIME, IT WILL BE A MIRACLE IF ANYONE IS STILL READING HOWEVER, I AM REALLY EXCITED TO BE POSTING AGAIN AND HOPEFULLY FINISHING MY FICS.**_

 _ **I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY THE LATEST UPDATE TO THIS (LONG-FORGOTTEN) CHONI FIC!**_

* * *

Jughead was sitting on the couch, the passed-out ten year old wrapped under his arm, when the distant roar of a motorbike hit his ears. A smug smile graced his face as he picked up the sleeping Jason to go and tuck him into bed, making sure the crown beanie stayed on the redhead.

The kid had been insistent he was going to wear that hat. The retired Serpent had been insistent that he wouldn't. Nevertheless, as always, Jason Blossom was right. Less than an hour later, the child had not only forcibly removed the beanie from his uncle's head, but he'd also convinced the older man to take him for their second burger of the day (Cheryl was going to kill him) and watch Toy Story 1…2… and 3.

And now there was the sound of Toni Topaz's motorbike fast approaching him.

While Cheryl's son was still downstairs, albeit asleep, with Jughead's beanie on and a milkshake moustache.

It was official, Cheryl Blossom was going to kill him.

Carefully, he carried the ten year old in the direction of the stairs, deciding bedtime was definitely on the cards for his young nephew.

* * *

Cheryl kept her arms around the Serpent's waist just a moment longer than she should have when the roaring engine of the ancient Triumph rumbled into silence. Content, she just breathed in the smell of Toni, that – much to her disbelief – hadn't changed, and was still a blissfully overwhelming combination of vanilla and cinnamon. _Sugar, and spice, and all things nice,_ she thought to herself, realising there was probably no better way of describing Toni Topaz.

"You have any plans of letting go, Bombshell?" she chuckled, and Cheryl just gently shook her head in reply. "Fair enough Blossom, but it's getting cold."  
Stunned at her own response, Cheryl smoothly replied. "Well I know how we could heat things up a little…"

"And how would you do that?"

"Wouldn't you like to know Topaz…"

"Wouldn't I indeed," the Serpent said, voice scarcely above a whisper.

Slowly, Toni turned her head to face Cheryl, both of them looking at each other in a way painfully similar to a night twelve years before. Eyes meeting, the icy blue melting in the chocolate brown, breath hitched, paused for a mere second that felt as if they were frozen forever.

They weren't teenagers anymore. That much was certain when Cheryl leaned into the embrace, gently grazing her lips over Toni's, waiting for the other girl's reaction. It was almost immediate, hands tangling in the red ringlets, lips parting just ever so slightly.

Cheryl smiled as she kissed the girl, relishing in the familiar taste of cherry cola and candy.

Toni chuckled slightly to herself, allowing herself to get lost in the kiss.

Jughead opened the front door, confused about what was taking the duo so long to come back in. Then he realised, bursting into applause.

The two girls jumped apart, splitting like a tree struck by lightning, simultaneously cursing the dark-haired man.

"Thank you," Cheryl stammered, "Jughead."  
"Would you look at that?" the man chuckled, "Lesbihonest, I was not expecting to open the door to that."  
"Jughead!" Toni groaned.

"I can't believe this." He said, shaking his head. "On the first date too."

"Did you even go on a date with Betty before you guys kissed?" Toni asked.

"I mean… no…"

"Then shut up."  
"Oh," he added, face burning slightly.

Straightening her dress, Cheryl decided it was time for a change of topic. "So Jug, how was JJ? Did her behave?"

"Yeah, the kid was great. He's just tucked up in bed."  
"And what did you guys end up having for tea?"  
"Pasta," Jughead quickly replied, thanking his foresight for destroying the evidence of their Pop's trip.

"So definitely not junk food?"

"Definitely not."  
"Good, thanks for looking after him Jug."  
"Anytime, I love hanging out with the him. Anyway, I best be heading home, I don't want to keep Betty up any later than she has to be," he added with a smile, "Goodnight ladies."

"Night Jug." They both replied, smiling at the Serpent as he climbed on his own bike and started the engine, disappearing into the darkness.

* * *

"I never envisaged Jughead Jones babysitting the children of Riverdale when we were kids," Toni declared, pouring another glass of Prosecco. "Like really, what changed so he started to love kids?"

"Probably how much Betty started babysitting Polly's kids."  
"Juniper and Dagwood? They're still the stupidest names of the century."

"Definitely," Cheryl agreed, "right after Tiny."

"Tiny?"  
"Yeah, isn't that you? Tiny Topaz?"

"Like Cheryl Bombshell wasn't the worse of that pair."  
"Debatable," the redhead shrugged, giggling in spite of herself.

* * *

The two settled into a comfortable silence, each scrolling through their phones until the distant chime of a clock signalled midnight.

"I ought to be heading home," Toni suggested, finishing the last of her wine.

Cheryl glanced at the other girl, at the candyfloss highlights she found once again enchanted her. Her eyes lingered on the exposed serpent tattoo on her forearm, desperately longing to reach out and touch it.

"I mean, you could always stay the night," Cheryl offered, shocked when she noticed the suggestive tone her voice had taken.

"Very forward, Blossom," Toni chuckled, "but on this occasion I have to refuse, I have to go check in on my older brother."

"Surely Toby is capable of looking after himself?"

"One would think so but seeing as he continues to couch surf chez moi, I must say otherwise."

"Well then you ought to go make sure he's not destroying the house."

"Trailer, Blossom, a Serpent never forgets their roots."

"Not even a retired one?"  
"Nope. Look at Jughead. You can take the Serpent out of the Southside, but you can't take the Southside out of the Serpent."

"I suppose," Cheryl mused, smiling at the other girl as they headed towards the door. "Will I see you soon Topaz?"

"I imagine so, Bombshell."

As Toni stepped out of the door, she embraced Cheryl, leaning in to place a chaste kiss on the redhead's cheek.

That innocent gesture soon evolved into something more, that didn't go unnoticed by a sleepy ten year old peering over the bannister.

"Mummmm!" a voice groaned from within the shadows, and Cheryl rolled her eyes as Toni smirked.

"And with that, I'm offski," Toni laughed, letting go of Cheryl and heading towards her bike. "See you around Bombshell!"

Cheryl turned to face her son, face falling at the milkshake moustache and beanie.

"Shower, Jason. And bed."  
"But Mum why were you kissing the pretty lady?"

"Shower JJ."  
"Tell me Mum."  
"Maybe in the morning."  
"It's twelve twenty five, it is morning."  
"Get to bed, Jason Blossom."

"Or what?"

"Or you can't go and see your cousins tomorrow."  
"That's sooooo not fairrrr," the young boy moaned, breaking into a yawn less than halfway through his sentence.

"Bedtime for you I think kiddo, and we can talk over breakfast."

"Fineeeee."

* * *

The sound of a second motorbike in the distance woke the old woman up a second time, and once again she made her way towards the window, her curiosity getting the better of her.

It was coming from the direction of Thistlehouse, much like the last one.

A gloved hand tugged at the curtain, peering into the darkness, searching for the telltale flashlight of a motorcycle.

All these guests, perhaps there was a party of some sort. Perhaps, she ought to go and join in?

And then she noticed it. From this distance, a tiny detail. So small, all she would have had to do was blink and she would have missed it.

The faint, but unmistakable, flash of bubblegum pink hair.

Even in her old age, Penelope Blossom knew there was only one person with hair like that, and there was only one reason the person in question would be heading to Thistlehouse.

The sadistic smirk spread over her lips, her realisation bringing a similar joy to a child on Christmas morning. Of course. Her earlier suspicion was confirmed.

Her second chance had arrived, once again building a home in the haunted ruins of the past.

Penelope Blossom grinned, letting the curtain fall back over the window. She let out a laugh, almost a cackle, as she climbed back into her bed, cocooning herself within the covers.

Her revenge would be sweet. She'd waited twelve years for this. She was in no rush. She had all the time in the world.

Oh, how sweet to finally deal with her unfinished business.

* * *

 _ **AN/ DUN, DUN, DUNNNNN... WELL THEN, POOR CHERYL NEVER SEEMS ABLE TO CATCH A BREAK DOES SHE...**_

 _ **THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT :)**_

 _ **PLEASE LIKE, FAVOURITE, FOLLOW AND LEAVE A COMMENT.**_

 _ **HAPPY EASTER GUYS!**_


End file.
